Angel in the Snow
by Snowy
Summary: Harry may be 17, but when it comes to girls he's still as naive as ever. Want to laugh at his mistakes? Then please r/r! PG for snogging/bad words. EDIT: New revised edition (typo free) up! Enjoy.
1. The Hermione Problem

He saw it out of the corner of his eye.  
  
Trying not to have anybody let on to what he saw, he ignored it for a moment, luring them away. Then, pulling back suddenly, he rushed forward and closed his hand around it, causing the stadium to explode with cheers and applause.  
  
"And another magnificent catch by Gryffindor seeker Potter, pulling them one game closer to the cup, and pushing Ravenclaw out of the running!" announced Dean Thomas, the commentator.  
  
The fourteen Quidditch players, along with Madame Hooch, landed on the ground and cheered along with the audience who filed down out of the bleachers.  
  
"Good game, Harry," his teammates congratulated him as they changed in the locker room.  
  
"Thanks," he said appreciatively, and then hurried outside to meet up with Hermione and Ron.  
  
"Great catch!" said Ron enthusiastically as soon as Harry stepped outside the door. "Poor Ravenclaws; I saw the captain almost crying as he left the field."  
  
"Second win in a row for Gryffindor--you're on a roll," teased Hermione as she slipped her hand into his, giving him a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Oh God!" complained Ron. "You guy's aren't going to get all mushy, are you?" A quick look at both faces told him that they were.   
  
"Gross, I'm outta here." Disgusted, he hurried up the steps to the common room.  
  
"Ron is so immature about these things," commented Hermione as he left. "We're seventh years; we're allowed to have a little fun." She smiled, and bent forward to kiss him again.  
  
"I don't think he's a romantic kind of guy," Harry said.  
  
"I'm glad you are." Hermione leaned back against one of the trees on the front grounds, and pulled Harry close to her, kissing him passionately.  
  
"Just a minute." Harry pulled back for a moment and took off his glasses, which had begun sliding down his face. He made to clip them to the front of his shirt, but Hermione grabbed them first.  
  
"I'll hold onto them, and you can get them back when we go inside." She shoved them deep down into the back pocket of her tight jeans, and she and Harry began kissing again.  
  
"Potter! Granger!" Professor McGonagall, who was standing on the front steps, had spotted the two.  
  
"Yes, ma'am?" asked Harry weakly, looking up.  
  
"Kindly remove your hand from Miss Granger's hindquarters."  
  
Turning bright red, Harry pulled back his hand, grabbing his glasses and putting them back on his face.  
  
"I would have thought that you two would be more responsible," she reprimanded. " I want you two to follow me back upstairs to your common room. Now."   
  
Still holding hands, Harry and Hermione headed up after the professor.  
  
~*~  
"So how's the wife?" asked Ron crossly as Harry opened the door to their dorm.  
  
"Lay off it, Ron," said Harry. "It's no big deal. We're not that serious....."  
  
"No big deal?" Ron snorted. "You guys are always kissing, holding hands, kissing, giving each other goo-goo eyes, kissing, oh, and did I mention kissing?" He looked over at Harry, who didn't seem to be listening at all.  
  
"Hello?" Ron waved his hand in front of Harry's face. "Earth to Harry?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," said Harry, looking up, embarrassed. "I was just thinking about-"  
  
"Hermione," Ron finished for him. "Yeah, yeah, I know." Harry rolled over onto his stomach.  
  
"It's just that she's so-"  
  
"Beautiful. Smart. Funny. Charming," Ron broke in irritably. "And you can't stand to be away from her for a single second," he added, imitating Harry.  
  
"Why are you so mad at me?" asked Harry. "It's not like I've done anything."  
  
"You are so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Don't you get it?" Ron looked totally annoyed. "You're not in love with this girl."  
  
"Yes, I am!" said Harry indignantly, sitting up.  
  
"You're obsessed with her. Hermione is not the source of life, you know. The world doesn't revolve around her, and neither should you. Why can't you just be a normal guy. Hang out with your friends, talking and joking-"  
  
"I hang out with Hermione!" interrupted Harry.  
  
"She's not your friend, she's your girlfriend. And you guys just spend all of your time kissing. I don't think you'd do that hanging out with a bunch of guys," pointed out Ron.  
  
"It's not my fault you're jealous of me!" Harry shouted suddenly.  
  
"Jealous?! Why would I be jealous?"  
  
"Because I have a girlfriend and you don't!"  
  
"I don't want your stinking girlfriend!"  
  
"Hermione is not stinking!"  
  
"Is too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Too!"  
  
"What are you guys arguing about?" The two turned around to see Hermione standing in the doorway.  
  
"That's none of your business. And what are you doing here? This is a boy's dorm, and I don't think that you're one of them," Ron shot at her.  
  
"What's you're problem?" asked Hermione, offended.  
  
"My problem is that some people are to thick headed to know the difference between love and obsession, and the difference between spending time with your girlfriend and being joined at the hip with her!" Picking up his parchment, quill, and book, he stormed out of the room angrily.  
  
"Aww, don't mind him, sweetie," said Hermione, massaging Harry's shoulders. "He'll cool off soon enough. But for right now, let's focus on us." She smile seductively at him. "I mean our homework, of course," she added.  
  
"Yeah, our homework," mutter Harry as he wrapped Hermione in his warm embrace.  
  
~*~  
"As I was saying," Professor Flitwick continued the next morning. "I will be collecting your essays that were assigned last week." He went down the rows and picked them up from each student, until he came to Harry.  
  
"Do you have your essay, Harry?" he asked, holding out his hand expectantly.  
  
"Er, no," was the reply.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"He was busy," spoke up Hermione.  
  
"Yeah, making out with Hermione!" muttered Ron in a rather audible whisper. A few people in the class snickered.  
  
"He had a Quidditch game yesterday, Professor," finished Hermione, obviously choosing to ignore Ron's comment.  
  
"Quidditch is no excuse for missing assignments. And if your grade drops any further, I have no other choice but to remove you from the team!" he announced, quite unusual for the normally laid-back teacher. He walked up to his desk, shuffling through a few papers.  
  
"I'm afraid I have no other choice but to assign you a tutor," he announced.  
  
Harry turned white.  
  
"A--a tutor?" he asked, dumbstruck.  
  
"Yes, a tutor, Mr. Potter," said Flitwick, walking up to him with his hands behind his back. "And do you know who this tutor might be?"  
  
"W-who?"   
  
"A sixth year. An underclassman. Somebody who is supposed to be beneath you, but obviously is not." The tiny professor looked extremely agitated.  
  
"Please! Sir!" said Hermione out of turn. "May I tutor him?"  
  
"Although I believe that learning can and should take place in a relaxed environment, I'm not sure if it should be--ahem--that relaxed," he informed her. Turning scarlet, she slid low in her seat.  
  
"So I want you in here tomorrow night right after dinner. No excuses," he said, turning back to Harry.  
  
"But I have Quidditch practice tomorrow-" Harry started.  
  
"No excuses," repeated Flitwick, and headed back up to the front board to finish teaching the lesson.  
  
  
A/N Okay, I'm sure some of you are very confused right now. Bethany, writing H/Hr fanfic? Nooooooo! This can't be possible! Well, lemme tell ya something. I'm only doing it for the sake of the entire plot of this fic. For all of you anti-H/H (yay! go you peoples!) I can only reveal ONE thing about the plot. It will NOT be H/H forever. Now I'm not telling you anything more about it. It's a secret. And don't try to pry it out of me. I'm like a rock. What?! You say I have a head like a rock? Well, wait until I get my hands on you, you little upstart! I'll rip off your ears and shove them up your nose!! Just kidding! Well, I hope you enjoyed the story.....next part should be out soon. Oh yeah. If you're wondering what the name means, you aren't going to find out for a while. So keep your shirt on (please, for the sake of us all!) and just wait for a while. 


	2. Tutoring

"What was it that you wanted to ask me about, Professor?" she asked, stepping up to his desk.  
  
"Ah, yes," he said. "You see, I have this student that needs tutoring. And, as you're my best student-" she turned magenta- "I was hoping you would be up to the challenge."  
  
"Oh, I'd love too, Professor!" she replied breathlessly.  
  
"Okay, Ginny. You two will be meeting up here tonight after dinner. Does that work for you?"  
  
"I don't have anything planned," she answered, and hurried out the door to catch up with her friend Jewel.  
  
"So what did Professor Flitwick want to ask you?" inquired Jewel.  
  
"He's having me tutor somebody tonight," Ginny said.   
  
"And of course he picked you! His best student, I'm sure," beamed Jewel.  
  
"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," blushed Ginny. "Maybe he just thought I would be the most suitable tutor. But I must admit that Charms has to be my favorite class. It all just seems to come so easily."  
  
Chatting, the two friends continued down the hall to their next class.  
  
~*~  
"Sorry, Hermi, but we can't get together tonight," Harry told his girlfriend that day at lunch. "I've got tutoring, remember?" From down the table, Ron snickered.  
  
"That's too bad, sweetums," Hermione lamented, shooting a nasty look in Ron's direction. "I suppose we'll have to make our plans for some other night."  
  
"Well, it wouldn't have been much of a night anyway," said Harry. "It would've had to have been cut short by Quidditch practice. Speaking of Quidditch, I'm gonna have to go tell Dan and Samantha that I'm not gonna be there tonight." Dan was the back-up Seeker, and Samantha was the second in command, so she would take the place of the captain in his absence.  
  
Hermione drummed her fingers on the table absent-mindedly, looking down at Harry. After waiting for a few minutes Hermione saw that he was still talking animatedly to Samantha and Dan, and she got up from the table and left the Hall for class without him.  
  
~*~  
"No time to talk I gotta eat fast!" said Harry as soon as he sat down next to Hermione at dinner.  
  
"You have all of dinner until you have to leave," said Hermione coaxingly. "Take your time."  
  
"'O, oo on't unerstan," he tried to tell her while chewing, splattering her with food.  
  
"No, you don't understand," he tried again after swallowing. "If I'm even a minute late, I'm gonna be in big trouble."  
  
"So you don't even have enough time for me?" she asked, disappointed.  
  
"I'm sorry," he told her, leaning over to kiss her hastily right before he shoved the rest of his food in his mouth, and hurried on out to run up to the Charms classroom.  
  
~*~  
"I'll talk to you guys later, okay?" said Ginny as she got up from the dinner table. "I'm not sure how long this is going to take, so don't look for me at any special time."  
  
"Okay, I'll see you tonight," Jewel said, scooting over to talk to her other friends after Ginny left to head upstairs to Professor Flitwick's class for her tutoring job.  
  
~*~  
"Am I on time, Professor?" asked Harry anxiously as he run in through the doorway.  
  
"Yes, Harry," said Flitwick, getting up from his seat at his desk. "Early, even. Go sit over at that table there until your tutor arrives."  
  
Walking over to the table Flitwick indicated, Harry grabbed a chair from one of the desks and sat down.  
  
I wonder who my tutor's going to be, he thought as he sat there. I hope it isn't some mega-geek who thinks that tutoring is cool. He abandoned his thoughts long enough to check his watch, which read six o'clock.   
  
Where are they? thought Harry impatiently. He looked over to the door and was surprised to see somebody standing at Professor Flitwick's desk.  
  
Ginny Weasley.  
  
~*~  
"I'm sorry if I'm a bit late, Professor," apologized Ginny as she stepped inside silently.  
  
"Oh, no, you're just on time," he told her. "I'm very glad that you could make it. Here's the stuff that you'll be going over tonight." He handed her a few books that had some pages marked in them.  
  
"Okay, it looks fine," she said.  
  
"Now you two will be working over there," he said, pointing to the corner where Harry was sitting. "So if you'll come with me, you can meet him now."  
  
Ginny nervously followed Flitwick across the room to where somebody was sitting at the table in the corner.  
  
"Meet your tutor," Flitwick told the young man, who looked up at once. Ginny's eyes widened.  
  
It was Harry Potter.  
  
~*~  
The two stared at each other in silence for a moment.  
  
"You know each other?" inquired Flitwick.  
  
"Ron," they both said in unison, nodding.  
  
"What an unexpected surprise! Well, you have quite a bit to cover in the next two hours, so I'll let you get to work. If you need anything, I'll be in Professor McGonagall's office at a meeting." The minuscule wizard smiled at them, and promptly left the room.  
  
The silence was deafening as Ginny pulled over a chair from one of the desks and laid the books down on the table.  
  
"So," said Harry. "What are we gonna be working on today?"  
  
"Er....quite a few things, it looks like," Ginny answered, examining the work that Flitwick had left for them. "So how about we start with.....the first one." Don't be stupid! Ginny told herslef. Of course you're going to start with the first one.  
  
"That sounds good to me," agreed Harry.  
  
Opening the book, Ginny flipped to the first indicated page, which went over the basics in beauty charms, obviously a review from the previous year.  
  
"Beauty charms are easy," she told him. "Just--just hold your wand, like this-" she took her wand between her index and middle finger- "and say the charm right before you flick the bottom of it with your thumb." She demonstrated by whispering a few well-chosen words, and, as she lightly hit the lower end of her wand, sparks flew out of it and ricocheted off of the walls of the classroom.  
  
"Pretty impressive," said Harry. "I'm sure Hermione could do something like that."  
  
"Wh-" Ginny started to ask, but then remembered that Hermione was now Harry's girlfriend. "Well, if I could do it, so could you. Try it," she urged.  
  
"Okay," he said, taking his wand between his fingers clumsily.  
  
"Here, more like this," corrected Ginny, moving his middle finger further down and his thumb more to the right.  
  
"Now what do I say?" he asked, leaning over to look at the list of charms in the book. "Lessee......Retter Flubby!" The particular spell that he had chosen sent butterflies fluttering out of his wand.  
  
"Good job!" she praised him. "I think you've pretty much gotten this one, so why don't we move on to the next?" Checking the sheet of pages, she flipped to the next one on the list, covering quite a few different kinds of charms.  
  
Before she knew it, the two hours were up as the clock struck eight.  
  
"I guess that mean's our time's up for today," said Harry, starting to get up.  
  
"Yes, well I suppose you can leave now. I still have to write a note for Flitwick, you know, to tell him how much we went over."  
  
"It's okay, I can wait, since we're going to the same place and everything."  
  
"Just a moment." Ginny jotted down a few more things on the piece of parchment, and set it down on the professor's desk as she left.  
  
"It's too bad you had to miss Quidditch practice," said Ginny, trying to start something of a conversation because, however uncomfortable she felt talking to him, it was always worse when the were together in silence.  
  
"Yeah, but there was no talking Flitwick out of it," Harry replied.  
  
"The team has been doing fantastic so far, so I don't think one missed practice should be much of a problem."  
  
"I guess so." Harry stopped at the portrait to say the password. "So......I'll see you later," he told Ginny as they stepped inside.  
  
"Yeah....." Ginny trailed off, and headed over to the girls' dorms.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Jewel!" exclaimed Ginny as soon as she stepped foot in the room. "You won't guess who I was tutoring! Harry Potter! I hope I didn't sound too stupid. I imagine he thought I was a total fool."  
  
Back in the common room, Harry went up to join Hermione in the soft love seat by the fire.  
  
"So who was your tutor?" asked Hermione, scooting over to give him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"You'll never guess who!" Harry told her. "Ginny Weasley!"  
  
~*~  
"So I trust your tutoring went well?" asked Flitwick later that week when Ginny was back in his class.  
  
"Certainly, professor," she informed him. "We went over everything that you had left for us, and I think he understood most of it."  
  
"That's nice to hear, because I was hoping you'd be up to it again next week."  
  
Another tutoring session with Harry? thought Ginny nervously, but she agreed to do it.  
  
~*~  
"I heard that you did well at your tutoring, Harry," Professor Flitwick commented the following Friday.   
  
"Yeah, we did pretty well," agreed Harry.  
  
"I hope that you enjoyed it, because you'll be meeting again."  
  
"Not Thursday!" wailed Harry. "I can't miss another practice!"  
  
"No, it's scheduled for Monday," Flitwick reassured him. "And I'm expecting you to be there at the same time as last."  
  
I don't know if I can stand to learn about Charms for two extra hours a week, thought Harry disappointedly, but he agreed to do it. Besides, he had no other choice.  
  
  
  
A/N Well, I suppose you all were thinking that I would just write one of those stories where Harry falls head-over-heels in love with Ginny when he sees what a young woman she's grown into, and dumps his girlfriend just to be with her. Well guess what. I didn't. I hate those stories. They're so boring and pointless. The plot is very bland. So hopefully this one is more enjoyable as it has more twists and turns than that. And there'll be probably around a half of a dozen more parts in this series. And I can tell you one thing. Harry won't be together with hermione for much longer. Maaaaaybe all of the next part. Maybe. I doubt it, tho. Depends on what sort of mood I'm in. 


	3. The Big Surprise

Yes, I'm sure that several of you are mad at me for keeping it H/H this long. On the other hand, I'm sure that several of you are quite pleased that it has stayed H/H this long. But both of you different shippers, please wait this *entire* story out! It's going to make a lot of different twists and turns, eventually landing at what each of you wants. So please, just hold on until the end!! I promise it'll be worth your while!  
  
  
"I've got to go to tutoring again tonight," explained Harry that Monday. "We can't go out. I'm sorry."  
  
"Tutoring again?" asked Hermione. "Didn't you learn enough?"  
  
"I guess Flitwick doesn't think so," shrugged Harry.   
  
"So can we change our plans to tomorrow?" Hermione inquired.  
  
"Sure Hermi," Harry said. "Do you forgive me?"  
  
"I guess," she said, leaning over to kiss him.  
  
"Oh, wait!" Harry cried suddenly. "Tomorrow doesn't work, either. I've got Quidditch practice." He stopped at Hermione's displeased look. "You do want Gryffindor to win, don't you?"  
  
"I'd rather have you than some dumb trophy," she said unhappily. "But if you have to......" she trailed off. "I guess we could get together the day after that."  
  
"Nope, I've got to work on Snape's essay," Harry replied instantly.  
  
"Thursday?" asked Hermione hopefully.  
  
"No." Harry shook his head. "Quidditch practice. But I can guarantee that Friday is free."  
  
"Okay, so Friday it is," said Hermione. "But don't back out on me."  
  
~*~  
"Bye, guys," said Ginny to her friends at dinner that night. "I'll be up around eight."  
  
"We'll save a game of Exploding Snap for you," Jewel reassured as Ginny left.  
  
~*~  
"Time for me to go!" Harry said suddenly, pulling back from Hermione and looking at his watch. "I'm already late!" He jumped up from the table and sprinted out of the Hall, heading up the steps in bounds.  
  
"I'm....sorry......lost track......of time......" His speech was interrupted by his heavy breathing.  
  
"I never want you to be late again, Potter," said Flitwick sternly. "But for just this time, I'll let it pass. Your tutor is already ready for you, so don't keep her waiting any longer." He turned and walked out of the classroom.  
  
~*~  
I wonder why he's so late, thought Ginny as Harry rushed inside the room. After talking briefly with Flitwick, she saw him head toward her.  
  
"Hey, Harry," Ginny said as he sat down. "We've got a lot of stuff to cover today, so it'd be best if we could get started right away."  
  
"Sorry I was late," he apologized. "I was talking with Hermione, and, er.....I sorta lost track of time."  
  
I should've know, Ginny told herself. He's always with Hermione.  
  
"That's okay," said Ginny, brushing it away. "It was only a few minutes, anyways." She brushed a loose piece of hair out of her face. "The main thing that we'll focusing on tonight is reversal charms, or the charms that can be used to undo something. There are lots of different kinds of reversal charms, but we'll start on the basics and get to the harder stuff later." She flipped the book open to the appropriate page. "Let's begin with undoing........how about the beauty charms that we worked on last week?"  
  
"Fine with me," said Harry.  
  
"Okay. First off, you need to do the beauty charm, so this can be something of a review from last time. Why don't you try turning that desk over there into a rose bush?" she suggested.  
  
"Sure." Harry gripped his wand carefully, and pointing at the desk, shouted, "Rhissyb!"   
  
The desk shook for a minute, and then, ever so slightly, the legs began to grow and weave around each other, turning green, and sprouted new leaves, every so often turning out a magnificent, blood red rose.   
  
"Nice job," Ginny praised after it had completed the transformation. "But how should you turn it back when you don't want it any more? That's what we're going to be learning today. Now if you'll just hold you're wand like this......"  
  
~*~  
Harry watched with increasing interest as Ginny showed him how to undo all of the spells that they had gone over the last time they met.  
  
"You're really getting the hang of it now," said Ginny after he successfully reversed his fifth charm.  
  
"Thanks," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's time to go." The great clock in the hallway backed him up by counting off the hours gladly--BONG! Bong! BONG! Bong! BONG! Bong! BONG! Bong!  
  
"That's good, because I was about to run out of things to cover," laughed Ginny as she picked up the books that they had been using, and the two walked out of the class together.  
  
~*~  
"Finally, a night alone," sighed Hermione that Friday as she sat down opposite Harry in the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Yeah, well sorry about yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, and the day before," Harry apologized. Hermione giggled.  
  
"It's okay, as long as nothing can interrupt us now," she said, reaching across the table and grasping his hand, sipping slowly on her butterbeer.  
  
"Why don't we take our drinks and go for a walk?" she suggested suddenly. "I'm sure we could find a nice....more private place to finish them."  
  
Together, Harry and Hermione headed out to one of the many parks of Hogsmeade.  
  
~*~  
Ginny slid back in her seat in the booth of the Three Broomsticks. She had just seen Harry and Hermione.  
  
Just give it up, Gin, she tried to tell herself. You haven't got a chance, anyway It was just a childish crush, and nothing more.  
  
"Are you ready to go, Ginny?" ask Colin, who was sitting beside her in the booth.  
  
"Yeah, I'm done," she smiled, and got up with him.  
  
Joking and laughing, the two left and headed back up to Hogwarts.  
  
~*~  
"I'm sorry Hermione," Harry said for the third week in a row. "But I've got plans for this entire week. There's nothing I can do about it."  
  
"But you promised that we could go this Friday!" wailed Hermione.  
  
"Something came up," he told her, taking her hands into his. "You understand, right?" He looked up into her eyes pleadingly.  
  
"Yes, I understand," Hermione said, defeated. "I guess I'll see you at dinner."  
  
~*~  
"So do you think that would be okay?" Ginny asked Professor Flitwick.  
  
"It sounds like a marvelous idea! I'll go talk to Minerva right now and have her keep all of the Gryffindor's out of the common room while you guys are working."  
  
"Okay, thanks, Professor!" Ginny said gratefully.  
  
~*~  
"Where are all the books?" Harry asked as he walked into Professor Flitwick's classroom that afternoon.  
  
"We're not going to be using them today," said Ginny. "We're going to have our lesson in the common room today, and all we'll need is our wands."  
  
Curiously, Harry followed Ginny upstairs and through the portrait hole.  
  
"So, um, what exactly are we doing?" inquired Harry.  
  
"I guess you could say that today's lesson is going to be something of a review of everything we've done so far," she explained. "We're going to decorate the common room for Christmas. That way you can use all of the different charms we've gone over, as well as the reversal charms if you want to change anything. If you need any help, feel free to ask me. Does that sound good to you?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," said Harry, pulling out his wand. "So let's see...what to do first?" He rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Girts Rilleg!" causing red and green striped ribbon to come shooting out of his wand and all along where the ceiling and wall met, drooping slightly in between.  
  
"Good job," Ginny congratulated him, and added a garland of silver onto the ends.  
  
Soon the two were working together smoothly, Harry starting something, and Ginny adding the final touches to it. Before long, the whole room looked like it had been hit by a hurricane that stopped by a party store first.  
  
"Well, I think that's about it," said Ginny, flopping back onto the couch. "I looks very nice," she added. "I suppose it'd be best if we went and got everybody now."  
  
"Sure," agreed Harry, heading out the portrait hole. "Oh, wait, one more thing." He took his wand out again and added a sprig of mistletoe to each of the doorways in the room.  
  
"Always the romantic," sighed Ginny, giggling, as she followed him out of the room.  
  
~*~  
"This is what you missed our date for?" Hermione complained.  
  
"You don't think it looks nice?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, it's lovely, you did a fantastic job," Hermione said. "But-"  
  
"Yeah, Ginny's a good teacher," interrupted Harry.  
  
"This is part of the problem! Once we do get some time alone, you go off talking about Quidditch, or something you did with the guys, or what you experimented with with Ginny, or...." she trailed off. "You're too detached."  
  
"I'm detached because I have a life?" he asked incredulously. "Maybe Ron was right."  
  
"Now don't bring Ron into this, or anybody else, either!" she said. "This is between you and me."  
  
"So what exactly is between you and me?" Harry inquired, standing up.  
  
"Well I'm not so sure anymore," said Hermione, standing up as well. She followed Harry as he led her over to the doorway leading to the dorms. Right under the mistletoe.  
  
"Is this is?" he asked, leaning over and kissing her softly.  
  
"Don't do that!" she cried shrilly. "We're through. Now just leave me alone!" With that, she stomped up the stairs to her room.  
  
  
A/N Okay, so I'm sure several of you are now like, "So this will be when Harry falls madly in love with Ginny." Well, I laugh at you. Because you're wrong. But I'm not telling you what will happen, so you'll have to stick around for that. I hope you enjoyed! 


	4. Actions May Be Decieving

Many thanks to everybody who has followed this far! Of all the stories I've written so far, I would have to say that this one has the strongest plot. Which is a good thing. And I actually like it. Which is a good thing as well. So please don't abandon it when something happens that you don't like. I'm begging you, just wait and find out! Pleeeeeeeease! Okay, enough of my begging/whining/patheticness (it's actually a word! Ooh!). So on with the story.......  
  
  
  
Harry stood dumbfounded as he watched Hermione's thick brown hair disappear up the stairs. Turning slowly, he headed up to his own dorm and sat down on his bed, still processing what had happened.   
  
Hermione had dumped him. She dumped him. But Harry and Hermione were forever, he thought. Of course, he couldn't really expect that to come out of a little high school relationship, but still....he sighed, flopping onto his pillow.  
  
"So, Hermione dumped you." Ron walked into the room. Damnit, thought Harry. Ron was the last person he wanted to see at the time.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," shot back Harry.  
  
"Why? Did she catch you looking at another girl? Were you moving to fast for her? Were you a different Harry from the one she used to know and love?" Ron asked.  
  
"Just lay off it, Ron, I really don't wanna talk about it now."  
  
"Okay, man, I understand," said Ron, grabbing a few books and walking back out. "But just remember...I warned you." He turned and closed the dorm room door behind him.  
  
Harry rolled over onto his stomach and buried his head in his pillow, but Ron's question kept bothering him--why had Hermione dumped him? He was still spending some time with her, even if it wasn't every waking moment. Come to think of it, maybe Ron was right. Maybe he had been a tiny bit obsessive. Maybe. But right then, all he could think of was Hermione. The way he used to run his hands through her thick, dark brown hair. The way he used to kiss her luscious, thick lips. The way her bright brown eyes always used to brighten his day. He had to have that hair, those lips, those eyes back. Before they could forget him, before they could find somebody else. He got out of bed, prepared to do anything to win Hermione back over, even if it killed him.  
  
~*~  
Ginny Weasley curled up tighter in her chair around the book she was reading. Hermione had just broken up with Harry.  
  
Now don't sound so happy about it, she told herself. You're getting to selfish about him. What do you even see in him? Honestly, you'd have to look pretty hard to find a more unattractive guy. Look at his hair, you'd think he'd never seen a brush before. And he's so skinny, and short, too. The glasses don't help his image, either. But his eyes.....Ginny stopped herself before she could go any further. Now Ginny Weasley, scolded the voice in her head, don't you even think about going after that boy. As a matter of fact, don't even think about him at all. Now read. Following the voice's instructions, Ginny turned back to her book, pulling the throw closer around her toes.  
  
~*~  
Harry stumbled down the staircase, determined to find Hermione and ask for her back. And he resolved that he wouldn't come back until he did.  
  
"Hey, Harry," Ron greeted him. "Wanna play a game of chess?"  
  
"Nah, I'll pass," said Harry. "I've...um...I've got to go." He opened the portrait hole hastily and walked out.  
  
So, where to go? he thought to himself. The first place he thought to look was the library. Of course she'll be in the library, he thought. She's always in the library.  
  
As he walked down the hallway, he began to grow nervous. What would he say? Would he get down on his knee and beg? Would he be gentle? Would he be demanding? What if she turned him down? What if she said no? What if...?   
  
"Yes, well, what do you want?" asked Madame Pince irritably. Without realizing it, Harry had already arrived in the library.  
  
"Er...have you seen Hermione?" he inquired.  
  
"She right back there in the corner," she said, pointing ahead to her right. "But don't you even think about talking!" she threatened as he headed past the tall shelves.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing here?!" Hermione exclaimed as she turned and saw him sit down beside her.  
  
"I said keep it down!" barked Madame Pince from her desk.  
  
"So what are you doing her?" she repeated, lowering her voice.  
  
"I came to-" Harry stopped, embarrassed. He didn't want to sound so totally desperate, but inside he was feeling just that.  
  
"I...I came to ask you for help on my Potions assignment," he lied quickly. "I don't understand about those Grengite potions at all." Harry shook his head sadly, and looked up at Hermione to see if she was buying it; she looked like she was.  
  
"Good. I was expecting you to come whining at me about what we did, or begging for me to take you back. I don't regret what I did, and I'm glad you're taking it some maturely." She smiled and opened her Potions book. "Now if you'll read this part here......"  
  
~*~  
Harry walked to Quidditch practice unhappily. How could he have been that stupid, to think that Hermione might have not really meant what she had done. She was a smart girl, and always knew exactly what she wanted. And obviously that wasn't him.  
  
He opened the door to the locker room and hastily changed into his scarlet robes, grabbed his broom, and waited for the rest of the team to arrive. He sighed, leaning back on the wall. Everything was going wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out at all. Didn't Hermione understand that what they had wasn't just a silly grade school relationship? Or at least it wasn't for Harry. For that short time they had together, he felt love.  
  
"Harry?" Samantha asked, sitting down next to him.  
  
"Huh?" He sat up quickly. "Sorry, I didn't know that anybody else was here." He straightened his glasses.  
  
"Are you okay?" She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You seem kind of tense."  
  
"No, no. Everything's fine," he assured her. "Now, as soon as everybody gets here, we're going to be working on a new play," he added, telling her all the details as the other six players joined them.  
  
~*~  
Harry trudged up the stairs to Professor Flitwick's class later that week to attend his regular tutoring. After they broke up, he and Hermione still remained friends, which only seemed to make it worse. He hated to talk to her and know that she wasn't his anymore, and just up for grabs. Sometimes it frustrated him so much that he just wished everything could go back to the way it was.  
  
He walked into the classroom looking much less cheerful than he had intended.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ginny asked, concerned, as he sat down.  
  
"Wha? Oh, no, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all," he replied, adding in a yawn to make his excuse more believable.  
  
"Well, today I was hoping we could start working on something new," she said, opening the book. As usual, Harry's mind wandered and was anywhere but on the page it was supposed to be on.  
  
"Does that sound okay to you?" he heard her ask.  
  
"Does what sound okay to me?"  
  
"Harry!" Ginny scolded him. "Listen! I'm tired of you not paying attention; that's what got you into this in the first place!" Harry's eyes widened; he wasn't used to Ginny losing her temper, and especially not with him.  
  
"I...I'm sorry," he apologized, still in disbelief. "I'll pay attention more."  
  
"Thank you!" She handed him the book. "Now I want you to read this, and then answer the questions on page 735. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he said, picking it up and beginning to read.  
  
~*~  
Two hours later, Harry gathered his things together and waited for Ginny to finish her usual note. He looked around the room sullenly. The desks, the chairs, the door, the clock, the books, Ginny... He stopped. Ginny! That was it! The perfect plan began to form in his head...  
  
"Are you ready to go yet, Harry?" Ginny asked from the desk where she was placing the piece of parchment.  
  
"Yes," he replied, and he picked up his things and followed her out the door.  
  
The whole walk to the common room, he was sure to look at her constantly and make eye contact whenever possible. He remained silent, though, while he was still working out what to say.  
  
"I...uh...I'm sorry," he said suddenly. "For you know, being rude and everything."  
  
"That's okay," Ginny replied, smiling up at him. "I suppose I could have been a bit nicer myself." The two walked in silence once again until they finally arrived at the portrait hole. Growing desperate, Harry spoke before Ginny could say the password.  
  
"Excuse me for staring all night," he apologized, stepping in front of her swiftly and blocking the portrait hole. "But you look extraordinarily beautiful this evening."  
  
"Why, thank you," she said, looking confused as she blushed scarlet.  
  
"But of course, you do every night," he told her quickly. "Do you have a boyfriend?"  
  
"That's a silly question! Of course not," she answered.  
  
"And just what is wrong with all of the young men at this school anyway, passing up an opportunity like you?" he asked, causing her to blush even darker.  
  
"That's really sweet, but I really need to be getting to bed now, so would you mind moving?"   
  
No, not yet! thought Harry. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her behind her waist and, bringing her closer to him, kissed her.  
  
"What was that for?" she asked as he pulled away. Now he face was the same color as her hair.  
  
"I've been wanting to do it ever since I first laid eyes on you," he lied, but Ginny didn't pick up on it and continued into the common room, smiling.  
  
  
A/N So just what does Harry have up his sleeve? Well, it's pretty obvious, and it's downright mean. How could he be so cruel? Is Ginny onto him? Will she kick his butt? That would be pretty funny now that I think of it....tee hee!~ Would anybody else but me like to see that? I mean, duh I'm a H/G shipper, but it would still be funny, neh? 


	5. And the Plot Thickens...

Well, now the plot is becoming a bit more obvious...Harry is being a very bad boy _ Yes, well, please read and find out....  
Ginny flopped back onto her bed, grinning to herself. That night had been the best of her life.  
  
"And what are you grinning about?" asked Jewel as she walked inside their dorm.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Ginny sighed, rolling onto her stomach. "I'll tell you in the morning."  
  
~*~  
Harry walked up to bed that night feeling very pleased with himself. As far as he was concerned, Ginny had taken the bait and his plan was working; soon Hermione would be his again. For a moment, he felt a slight pang of guilt in his stomach, but as soon as he thought of running his fingers through Hermione's bushy brown hair, it disappeared.  
  
~*~  
Ginny was all smiles the next morning as she got dressed. Was Harry really serious about what he said to me last night? she thought as she brushed out her thick red hair.   
  
She headed down the stairs, hoping to catch up with Harry before breakfast. After a quick look around the common room, she saw that he wasn't there and went ahead downstairs with Jewel.  
  
"So, tell me what happened!" pried Jewel eagerly.  
  
"We were just heading back up to the portrait hole when he told me that I looked extraordinarily beautiful," said Ginny. "Then he asked me if I had a boyfriend, and I said no."  
  
"Well, go on!" insisted Jewel.  
  
"And then...he kissed me."  
  
"Really? On the lips? He really did?" she squealed.  
  
"Yeah..." Ginny said, blushing slightly.  
  
The two walked into the Great Hall and sat down in their usual seats near the end of the Gryffindor table. Ginny scanned the table for Harry, and sure enough, there he was, seated between Ron and Hermione. When Ginny saw Hermione, her heart sunk, but she was more reassured about the previous night's occurrences when Harry turned and gave her a smile and a little wave.  
  
~*~  
Harry watched as Ginny walked into the Great Hall, chattering with a tall girl Harry recognized to be a Gryffindor. He grew nervous as she took a seat and peered over at him--how could he keep his plan up without having Ron know about it? Harry didn't especially like the idea of lying to Ron, but he would much rather do that than get beat up by him.   
  
"And so then he said that he had never met anybody who knew so much about Linden's theories before." Hermione was dragging on about her interview with Professor Keedstone, a teacher at a medical school for wizards.   
  
"I don't know why you're so worried about your future right now," commented Ron.  
  
"Ron! This is our seventh year! Next year, we're out in the real world. It will be much easier if you're prepared beforehand," she said matter-of-factly.  
  
"We still have six months left," said Ron. "I'll wait until later."  
  
Hermione blew up at Ron, reminding Harry strongly of a Howler--she had even turned the same shade of red (which really was a good color for her, he thought). "What do you mean you'll wait until later? The future is later, so you have to be ready for it now!" She continued telling him off, giving Harry a chance to glance back down the table. Much to his dismay, Ginny was looking back. He gave her a smile and a little wave, and then turned back around.  
  
"What was that?" asked Ron as Harry turned back in his seat.  
  
"What was what?"   
  
"That. That...wave thing."  
  
"Oh. A wave thing."  
  
"Why did you just wave to my sister?"  
  
"Because it's a way of saying 'Hi' in this country. "  
  
"That wasn't a 'Hi' wave, Harry, and you know it!" Ron pounded his fist on the table angrily. "After all these years of being friends, you have to go and hit on my little sister!"  
  
"But I--" Harry started to protest.  
  
"Don't even bother." Ron stormed out of the Hall fuming.  
  
"I don't know what's gotten into him lately," Hermione said, "but don't let it get to you." She put her hand on his comfortingly, and Harry smiled.   
  
~*~  
"Hey, Ginny, wait up!" Harry called out to Ginny as she left dinner that evening.  
  
"Hi, Harry," she said, spinning around. "Is there something you wanted?"  
  
"Just to see you." He smiled and slid his hand into hers.   
  
"Oh." She walked on, not knowing what to say, but nonetheless smiling to herself.  
  
"So..." Harry started, trying to fill the awkward silence with conversation. "How was your day?"  
  
"Boring, as usual," replied Ginny. "In Potions, Colin's cauldron exploded and got sleeping potion all over everything--half of the class was out cold. Needless to say, Snape wasn't very happy."  
  
Harry laughed. "I can't wait until next year--I'll never have to sit through another Potions class again. I've been put through pure torture for all these years; it'll be great to finally end it all."  
  
"We'll miss you when you leave, though," said Ginny. She blushed suddenly and added, "Because, well, you know, you're the best Seeker we've ever had, and..." She trailed off, now a deep shade of magenta.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, giving her hand a squeeze. "That means a lot coming from you."  
  
"Harry!" Harry's stomach sank as he heard the familiar voice of Ron Weasley behind him, his load footsteps echoing through the hall. Harry dropped Ginny's hand and turned around to face Ron.  
  
"Yeah?" Harry asked.  
  
"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment," said Ron. "Privately," he added, glancing over at Ginny.  
  
"I'll just go on to the common room, then. See you two later." She turned on her heel and continued down the hall. After she was out of sight, Ron rounded on Harry.  
  
"What do you think you're playing at?" asked Ron, furious.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry said, pretending to look confused.  
  
"Now you know very well what I'm talking about. Ginny!" His brown eyes flashed as he growled angrily, and for once Harry could tell that he was truly Mrs. Weasley's son. "What do you want with her?"  
  
"I...I want to spend time with her," lied Harry quickly. "I really like your sister, Ron."  
  
"You don't like Ginny any more than you like Millicent Bulstrode," Ron hissed. "Don't lie to me."  
  
"I don't know why you can't accept the fact that sometimes people like other people, but believe me, it happens," Harry snapped. Ron glared at him for a moment, and then stormed off to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
Harry sighed and rested his head against the cold stone wall. How could Ron have seen right through him? Was it really that obvious that he didn't really like Ginny, and he was just using her for a while? He certainly hoped not.  
  
A soft nudge in the side reawakened him from his thoughts. He glanced over to see Hermione looking at him, worried. He was glad--she always looked adorable when she was worried.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, starting to walk with him.  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine...just fine," said Harry.   
  
"You're sure nothing's bothering you?"  
  
"Yes," said Harry. "So...how about the weather, eh?" he said, changing the subject abruptly. "It's getting rather cold out." He drew his cloak closer around him, as if to reinforce what he was saying.  
  
"Harry," said Hermione, annoyed. "Stop being so difficult."  
  
"I'm not being difficult," he replied stiffly. "There is absolutely nothing difficult about me. I am the epitome of nondifficultness"  
  
"That's not even a word," snapped Hermione. She emitted an annoyed sigh. "Okay. Fine. You're not difficult. You are the least difficult person in the world!" Hermione said, throwing her hands up in the air.  
  
"It's about time somebody agreed with me," said Harry.  
  
"I was being sarcastic," came Hermione's irritated reply.  
  
"I know." The two walked on to the common room in silence, the only noise coming from the howling of the wind across the grounds in the harsh, beginning-of-winter weather.  
A/N Well goodness gracious! How long has it been? ::yawns and stretches:: No, I didn't die....although it did seem like it for a while, didn't it? I can't believe it's been *three* months between posts ::cough cough cough:: Wow. That's about all I can say. It's about time I finished this thing already. Yeah, well...that's about all I have to say. This was too mushy and boring. Next chapter is more exciting. Much more exciting. Well, there are quite a few more people who get genuinely pissed off, so I suppose that could be counted as more exciting... 


	6. Um....Now the Plot is as Thick as Pea So...

Yes, well....I know I should be writing more, because it's the summer and all and I have more free time and whatnot. But hey, what can I say? I'm a lazy writer. But I'll get around to finishing this all...sometime...  
He looked at the corner with annoyance, and frowned the most disapproving frown he could muster. He hated to look into that corner, but it was becoming harder for him not to, what with all the giggling and such taking place.  
  
"You know, if you keep that look on your face too long, it'll get stuck like that," said Hermione.  
  
"Shut up," said Ron, not bothering to wipe the frown off his face. "I'm allowed to disapprove if I want to."  
  
"I don't see why you should have a problem with it," Hermione replied. "I would think that you'd be happy for your sister, finally having a boyfriend."  
  
"No, I wouldn't," snapped Ron testily. "Especially when it's quite obvious that Harry has no intentions of going anywhere with her. I can't believe that you can be friends with a guy so long, and then he turns around and does this to your very own sister."  
  
"Ron, you don't have to be so protective of Ginny all the time. She's not a little girl any more--she's almost sixteen," said Hermione. "She's responsible enough to make her own decisions. And I don't know how you got it into your head that Harry would be toying with her affections."  
  
"I should have known it'd be just like you to stick up for Harry," Ron said bitterly. "I guess being your ex-boyfriend counts for something, huh?"   
  
"Listen to yourself, Ron!" Hermione huffed, obviously offended. "It has nothing to do with a relationship between Harry and I that is now over, in case you didn't notice. I just think that you should let them work out things between themselves."  
  
"Excuse me for looking out for my little sister," muttered Ron.  
  
"I don't know why I even bother." Hermione got up from her stool at the bar and stormed out of The Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Trouble with the missus, eh?" asked an older, and obviously drunk man sitting on Ron's other side. Ron rolled his eyes and went to join Dean and Seamus on the other end of the room.  
  
~*~  
Harry sat talking with Ginny in The Three Broomsticks one afternoon on their last Hogsmeade weekend before the Christmas holiday.  
  
"I can't thank you enough for tutoring me in charms," he said over a mug of butterbeer.  
  
"It was nothing," said Ginny. "In fact, I enjoyed it. It was fun to teach you."  
  
"Thanks." Harry met Ginny's eyes for a moment, and she looked away, blushing deeply.  
  
"So, what are you doing over the holiday?" Ginny asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Hanging out around the castle, as usual. You?"  
  
"I'm going to be staying. Mum and Dad are spending Christmas in Egypt with Bill and his new girlfriend, Lizzy," she said.  
  
"Oh." An awkward silence fell upon the two, and neither really wanted to break it. Suddenly, Harry glanced at the bar, and then at the door. Before Ginny could turn to see what he was looking at, he jumped out of his seat.   
  
"Sorry gotta run but I'll meet you back up in the castle tonight around seven okay don't be late," he called all in one breath and rushed out the door. Ginny didn't have enough time to wonder where he was going before she was joined by Lavender and Parvati.  
  
"I can't tell you how totally super I think it is that you and Harry have finally gotten together!" gushed Lavender.  
  
"Tha-," Ginny started, but was interrupted by Parvati.  
  
"Yeah, I guess he and Herm were okay, but a little too touchy-feely too fast. You guys just make the absolute cutest couple!" she squealed. "Harry Potter and his best friend's little sister. Who would have guessed?"  
  
"Um..." stammered Ginny, not quite sure what to say, but she didn't really have to because Lavender was starting back up again.  
  
"Ooh! Look! There's Dean and Seamus!" She jumped up and pointed at a table by the window, where Dean, Seamus, and Ron were sitting and talking (probably about Quidditch again, thought Ginny) while sipping butterbeers. In a flash Lavender and Parvati were over there, followed reluctantly by Ginny.  
  
"Hey Dean," Parvati cooed, leaning over the back of his chair. "You don't mind if we girls join you, do you?" Dean grinned broadly.  
  
"No, of course not. Take a chair." Quite willingly, Parvati sat down next to Dean, Lavender beside Seamus, and Ginny took the only available chair between Parvati and Ron.  
  
Ron watched on in disgust as Lavender and Parvati giggled and gossiped, mostly about boys.  
  
"How can they put up with this?" he whispered to Ginny. She shrugged.  
  
"I hope I don't act like this around Harry," she said, but immediately wished she hadn't.  
  
"Oh, don't bring Harry into this!" Ron sighed. "I don't know what you see in that guy."  
  
"What do you mean?" frowned Ginny. "I though you two were best friends."  
  
"Yeah. So did I." He paused. "Do you know where he is?"  
  
"Nope," she said. "He dashed out of here a few minutes ago." Ron straightened up in his chair.  
  
"A few minutes ago, you say? Why?"  
  
"I don't know. He just said it was important and would meet me in the common room tonight."  
  
"Damn!" Ron leapt up from the table and rushed out into the milling street.  
  
That's the second time that's happened in...three minutes, Ginny thought, consulting the clock on the wall. I wonder what's going on... Spotting Jewel and a few other of her friends walking in, Ginny left the table to join them.  
  
~*~  
Ron finally caught up to Harry in the buzzing streets of Hogsmeade following, much to Ron's displeasure, Hermione into one of the local bookstores. As Harry was approaching the door, Ron grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing?" hissed Ron.  
  
"Going into this store," he replied.  
  
"Oh, sure, play it innocent!" Ron said.   
  
"Why, what am I guilty of?" Harry asked, trying to sound confused.  
  
"Don't be stupid, Harry." Ron glared at him for a minute. "Okay, if you're so innocent, what book do you need to buy?"  
  
"I...uh...a book on...um..." Harry racked his brain for a good answer while a smug grin played it's way across Ron's face.  
  
"Exactly. You don't know what book you're going to buy because you're not buying a book. Do you know why you're really going into this store?" he asked.  
  
"Uh..."   
  
"It's easy. Two words. Hermione Granger."  
  
"What...what does she have to do with any of this?" Harry asked nervously.  
  
"I'm not stupid. I can see through this little plan of yours. Get together with somebody else to make her jealous, right? Hope that she'll realize what a mistake she made when she dumped you? And then she'll run back into your open arms?" accused Ron, jabbing his finger into Harry's chest.  
  
"You are absolutely wrong!" Harry declared indignantly. "I can't believe that you would ever suspect me of using Ginny just to win back Hermione! I'm tired of you making up lies just because you're jealous of me."  
  
"Why in bloody hell would I be jealous of a stupid little git like you?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because of me and Gin--" he was interrupted by Ron.  
  
"Oh God. Don't start this again!" he moaned. "I am not jealous of you and Ginny. Do you think I want to date my little sister?"  
  
"Not of me and Ginny specifically," explained Harry. "Just the fact that I am in a relationship and you aren't."  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you. I don't want a bloody girlfriend."  
  
"You're only saying that because you can't get a girlfriend," Harry said.  
  
"First I'm jealous of you and Hermione, then I'm jealous of you and Ginny, and now I can't get a girlfriend?! Honestly, Harry, you're trying to hard."  
  
"Hey guys," piped up a voice behind the two. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Hi, Hermione," said Harry. "Ron and I were just discussing...uh..." He stopped and looked at Ron.  
  
"You two have been acting weird lately. Is there something I should know about? " she asked, glancing from Harry's forced indifferent face to Ron's, which was contorted with anger.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you, Hermione," Ron said. "Nothing that you need to worry about."  
  
"Okay," she said skeptically. "I'm heading down to the post office to send an owl to Mum and Dad and let them know I'm staying down here for the holidays."  
  
"I'll go with you," said Harry quickly.  
  
"Okay. We'll meet you up in the common room, then, Ron?"  
  
"Sure. Whatever." He headed down in the other direction, and Harry and Hermione walked off towards the post office.  
  
~*~  
"Harry, what were you and Ron talking about before I ran into you guys outside the store?" Hermione inquired, leaning on the counter in the post office as she waited for the clerk to send off her mail with an owl.  
  
"Nothing special," he said as nonchalantly as he could.  
  
"Harry," she said exasperatedly, "there's no use in lying to me, you know." She turned around and looked at him with one of her looks of annoyance that Harry loved.  
  
"Really, it wasn't anything important," said Harry, fighting the urge to just lean over and kiss her right then and there.  
  
"I don't believe you," she said stoutly. "But I guess it's no use in prying any farther." She turned back around on the counter. Harry just stood and admired the way her hair shone in the light, the way it was always curly and frizzy, but neat and exact at the same time.   
  
"Harry? Hello? What are you looking at?" Hermione waved her hands in front of Harry's faced.   
  
"What? Oh, nothing," he said, following her back out to the street.  
  
"I'm tired of hearing that answer from you; 'Nothing.' Can't you come up with anything more intelligent to say?"  
  
"Okay. Do you want to know the truth?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Harry. I want to know the truth." She turned and looked up at him, arms akimbo.  
  
"Well, I was looking at your hair," he said simply.  
  
"My hair? What so interesting about that?" she asked, pushing a thick lock of it behind her ear.  
  
"Well, you know...the way it waves and...it's so curly and frizzy and..." He faltered.  
  
"If you knew how incredibly idiotic that just sounded, you'd be kicking yourself right now," laughed Hermione, but she couldn't help but feel flattered. "Anyway, that wasn't what I was asking about. What I did want to know was," she looked him straight in the eye, "what was it that you and Ron were talking about?"  
  
"Well..." Harry stopped. He was sweating nervously already. "Well. Um. Er."  
  
"If it's that difficult for you to tell me, maybe I can just go ask Ron," she said, and looked as if she intended to do just that.  
  
"Wait! Stop!" he said. "Okay. We were talking about..."  
  
"Yes?" asked Hermione impatiently.  
  
"We were talking about Ginny," he spat out quickly. "Okay, are you happy now?"  
  
"Oh, goodness. Was Ron going on about you using her again?" she asked.  
  
"How did you know about that?"   
  
"He's been trying to tell me that, too," she said. "Was that it?"  
  
"Yes, yes it was," he said, relieved that she hadn't asked any more.  
  
"That poor dear...he's such a sweetheart for looking after his sister like that, but really! I would think that of all people, he would trust her heart with his best friend. After all, I would." Hermione looked up at Harry, who smiled. "I guess it's just a little weird for him to get used to the fact that Ginny's almost sixteen."  
  
"Yeah, well..." Harry stopped, not sure what to say.  
  
"Harry?" asked Hermione suddenly.  
  
"Yes?" He looked at her hopefully.  
  
Hermione paused thoughtfully for a while. "Nevermind," she said. Harry's heart sank. They walked on in silence for a while.   
  
"Well, it's about time to be heading back to the castle," Harry said finally, glancing at his watch.  
  
"Yeah," said Hermione. "Oh, there's Ron...let's go catch up to him and walk back together." She rushed up to meet him, and Harry, however much he didn't want to, had no choice but to follow.  
  
A/N So...where was Ginny, you're thinking. If this is a G/H story...where did Ginny go? Bethany, you're getting *old* and *forgetful*! So anyways, if that's what you're thinking...see, I was gonna write this whole second part of the chapter that was about Ginny and all, but then it got too long. And I figured that as long as I'm back in my "writing groove" as I like to call it (yeah, I know, I'm a nerd) I might as well just put that into the next chapter. So that's the answer to your question. And if you weren't wondering that, well, too bad. Because I answered anyways. So...next chapter is Ginny's chapter. And then maybe...three or four chapters after that... 


	7. So It's Come Down to This

Yeah...well....this story has about two or three more chapters after this, and then an epilogue, I guess. Then I'll have to come up with a new plot for a new fic (oh, creativity...horror of horrors!) So anyways...I know I promised that this would be *the* Ginny chapter. So I hope I can live up to that ::gulps::  
  
  
  
It was about a week into the Christmas holiday, and Ginny, sitting up in Gryffindor tower by the fireplace, was doing some serious thinking. About Harry. Something about him was...different. No, different wasn't the word for it, she decided. Unusual? No... Odd? No... Suspicious? Yes, that was it. Suspicious. But what exactly was suspicious, she couldn't put her finger on, and it was bothering her constantly.  
  
She was torn from her thoughts as somebody plopped down on the couch beside her.  
  
"Harry," she smiled, looking up as he put his arm around her. "What's up?" She was glad that he was here; maybe she could ask him about whatever it was that was bugging her. But before he could even answer her first question, or she could ask another, Hermione walked over.  
  
"Hey guys," she said. "Can you make some room for me?" Ginny's heart sank--with Hermione here, there was no way that she could talk to Harry; Ginny always felt nervous when she was around.  
  
"Sure," said Harry, scooting over to clear a spot for her.   
  
"Have you seen Ron around?" asked Hermione curiously, scanning the common room for the tall redheaded boy.   
  
"He came in a few minutes ago," replied Ginny. "But I think he headed back out again. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Nothing," said Hermione, exchanging a hasty glance with Harry.  
  
"What?" inquired Ginny, looking at the two guilty faces sharing the couch with her. "What is it?"  
  
"What is what?" said Harry, trying to look confused. "Ginny, perhaps you had a bit too much to drink in Hogsmeade today. Speaking of Hogsmeade...did either of you buy anything while you were in town?"  
  
Ginny sighed. Harry was horrible at trying to cover something up, but she decided to wait until Hermione left to confront him about it. In the meantime, she just played along and joined in the conversation.  
  
~*~  
  
Much to Ginny's dismay, it was far past midnight when Hermione got up and left, and Harry went to bed promptly after that, robbing Ginny of any opportunity to talk to him personally. She was just about to head up to the dorms herself when Ron walked in through the portrait hole.  
  
"Hey, Ron," she said, turning around. "Where have you been?" When he turned up his face to look at her, though, she was quite startled by the look it wore.  
  
"Ron, are you okay?" she asked, concerned. "Is something wrong?" There was a long pause before Ron answered.  
  
"Ginny," he said, and then paused. "Are you happy with Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"Does there seem to be anything, oh, I dunno...weird about him lately? Like he's trying to cover something up?"  
  
"Of course not," she said quickly, but her mind was racing, thinking back to that something that had been nagging her.   
  
"Have you been noticing all the time he's been spending with somebody lately?" he asked.   
  
"No," she said slowly, wondering where this conversation was heading.  
  
"Nothing weird. At all?" asked Ron skeptically. Ginny shook her head.  
  
"Ron, what are you getting at?" she said.  
  
"What am I getting at? What I'm getting at, Ginny, is that there is something weird going on between Harry and Hermione!" he spat.  
  
"Hermione?!" laughed Ginny incredulously. "No...she would never do that...we're friends! I don't know how you could ever suspect such a thing of your two best friends, Ron!"  
  
"I know, but it's the truth," he said firmly.  
  
"Listen, if you don't want me to go out with Harry, just come out and say it!" cried Ginny. "But don't go around making up lies!"  
  
"Hey, don't kill the messenger," said Ron, and then walked up the spiral staircases to the boys' dorm.  
  
~*~  
Ginny was on the verge of tears as she climbed up to her bed. Ron was lying. He had to be lying. There was absolutely no way that he could not be lying. Ah, but wait, she reminded herself. What about that little suspicious something that was bothering you about Harry. Yes, you remember...the one you were going to ask him about? Don't pretend like nothing was there...if Ron is telling the truth, that could be what was strange about him.  
  
But Harry would never do something like that! she argued with herself. He's just not that kind of person...well, at least I don't think he's that kind of person, anyway. And honestly, could you imagine Hermione sneaking around with him when she knows that he has a girlfriend? Absolutely not!   
  
And, with that, she tried her hardest to put the thought to rest but instead just succeed in having a very sleepless night.  
  
~*~  
The next morning when Ginny got out of bed she was anything but tired. She had done some serious "soul-searching" as her mother would refer to it, and decided to confront Harry that very morning at breakfast.  
  
"Hey Ginny," said Jewel as she woke. "You're up early today."  
  
"Not really," replied Ginny, practically bouncing across the room to read the clock. "It's only seven o'clock!"  
  
"And hyper, too," Jewel noted as she pulled fresh robes from the bureau. "You must have had one good night's sleep."  
  
"Actually, I didn't sleep a wink," Ginny informed her as she slipped into her clothes.  
  
"Gin, are you sure you're okay?" asked Jewel, concerned. "Maybe you'd better go see Madame Pomfrey..."  
  
"I feel absolutely wonderful," exclaimed Ginny as she bounded out the door and down to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
  
~*~  
"Good morning, Harry," Ginny greeted him happily as she joined him that morning at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"'Morning, Ginny," he said, reaching for the orange juice. "Toast?" he offered.  
  
"No thanks," she said politely. "What I really want is--" She was interrupted by Ron sitting next to Ginny.  
  
"Hey Gin," he said, patting her on the head as he stole her eggs. "I hope you weren't hungry."  
  
"Not really," she said, rolling her eyes and passing her plate over to him.   
  
"What were you saying?" Harry asked, turning back to Ginny.  
  
"What I was saying was--"   
  
"Hi guys," said Hermione, taking a seat on Harry's other side and interrupting Ginny again. "What's up?"  
  
"Ginny was just telling me something," said Harry. "By the way, what was it?"  
  
"Well," Ginny said, but faltered. All the courage that she had built up since last night suddenly drained from her body, and she couldn't bring herself to ask Harry about what Ron had told her the previous evening, especially since Hermione and Ron were here. "I was just wondering if...er..." She racked her mind for something to say. "Maybe we could go out for a walk after breakfast?"  
  
"I'd love to go," Hermione exclaimed. Ginny's heart sank--the invitation had not been intended for Hermione.  
  
"But it's freezing outside!" protested Ron. "And it's been snowing all week long."  
  
"That's what coats are for, Ron," Harry said. "Let me go upstairs and grab an extra one before we leave, and I'd be happy to go."  
  
"Okay," said Ginny, but she already felt that her plan had failed before it even started.  
  
~*~  
"It was a lovely idea for you to suggest a walk," Hermione said as she walked next to Harry.  
  
"It's incredibly beautiful, even if it is incredibly cold," agreed Ginny, slipping her mittened hand into Harry's gloved one. Ron, standing beside Ginny, looked disgusted.  
  
"What are you trying to do?" Ron whispered to Ginny, leaning over. Ginny shrugged.  
  
"Dunno...seemed like a good idea at the time," she replied. She turned back to talk to Harry, but he was already deeply engaged in conversation with Hermione. Ginny sighed...this would never do.  
  
"I think I'm going to go back into the castle," said Ron suddenly. Harry and Hermione didn't seem to notice, but Ginny certainly did.  
  
"Ron!" she exclaimed. "Why don't you stay out here with us? It wouldn't be the same without you, right Harry?" she asked, tugging on his hand slightly.  
  
"What?" he said, turning around. "Oh, no, of course it wouldn't."  
  
"It wouldn't what?" asked Hermione curiously, looking in their direction, too.  
  
"It wouldn't be the same if Ron went back up to the castle instead of walk with us," Ginny said, annoyed that they hadn't been listening.  
  
"Oh, yes, it's simply wonderful to have us all here together," she said, but when she went to look for Ron he had already headed back around the lake without them noticing.  
  
"Ron!" yelled Harry, but Ron was set in his course and didn't turn back around.  
  
"Er...would you guys mind if I go see if I can bring him back?" Ginny inquired. Harry and Hermione's eyes met briefly.  
  
"No," said Hermione.  
  
"Okay," Ginny said. "I'll be right back." She let go of Harry's hand and raced to catch up with Ron.  
  
~*~  
Ginny's lungs stung from the icy cold air by the time she met Ron at the front steps.  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked, breathing heavily from her run.  
  
"Back inside. Isn't that what I told you?" he replied.  
  
"Is it okay if I come in with you?" asked Ginny.  
  
"What about your walk?" Ron said, nodding in the direction of Harry and Hermione. Ginny shrugged.  
  
"I dunno, it was getting pretty boring," she said. "And cold," she added, rushing into the warm entrance hall.   
  
~*~  
"So..." said Harry as he and Hermione walked alone along the lake in the bitter cold.   
  
"What are you thinking about?" Hermione asked curiously.  
  
"What am I thinking about?" Harry said. "Well..." He stopped. "I'm thinking about the day we...you know...broke up."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And," he continued, "all of the feeling that were still there. All of the feelings that didn't have a chance to sort themselves out."  
  
"Oh," Hermione said thoughtfully. "You know, I've been thinking about that, lately, too..." She looked up, her soft brown eyes meeting his brilliant green ones.  
  
"Really?" Harry asked, hoping his excitement didn't show in his voice. So, he thought to himself, your plan was a success, wasn't it?  
  
"Yeah, really." Hermione brushed a stray lock of brown hair out of her face nervously. No longer able to contain himself, Harry took Hermione's hands into his and, bringing her face close to his, kissed her. Hermione seemed surprised at first, but made no objections.  
  
"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that," said Harry, straightening up.  
  
"But...but what about Ginny?" asked Hermione concerned.  
  
"You should never let anything stand in the way of true love, Hermione," he said softly, and kissed her again.  
  
~*~  
Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room, curled up in a windowsill beside the fireplace with a book and a cup of hot cocoa.  
  
"Hey Ginny," said Jewel, sitting down in an armchair across from her. "Where's Harry?"  
  
"He's out walking with Hermione," Ginny replied, looking out the window toward the lake. As she did, the sight that met her eyes almost made her scream, but she stopped herself just in time.  
  
Harry was kissing Hermione.  
  
Wait, wait, wait, she told herself. That can't be happening. You're just imagining it; they're just talking like before.  
  
"Gin?" asked Jewel concerned. "Are you okay? You look kind of pale."  
  
"I'm fine," Ginny assured her. "Just warming up...it's awfully cold outside." She peered back out the window and was relived to see Harry and Hermione walking side by side again. But, to her horror, a moment later they leaned back together and if they weren't kissing, well, Ginny decided she was just going crazy. After all, what else do you call it when two people are so close together that they're lips touch?  
  
~*~  
Ginny kept her seat by the fire, awaiting Harry and Hermione's return. She had never felt so horrible about anything in her whole life. She was so sure of what she had seen, and yet she wouldn't let herself believe it. Harry and Hermione were her best friends and they would never do anything like that to her. It must have been some trick of the light, reflecting off the snow, she told herself. Yes, that would do. A trick of the light. But still...  
  
She turned around as the two walked in, cheeks rosy red from the stinging cold outside. Hermione headed up to her dorm almost immediately, but Harry made his way toward the fire.  
  
"Ginny." He looked down at where she sat in the window.   
  
"Harry." She swallowed nervously, hoping against hope that she hadn't seen what she thought she'd seen outside.  
  
"We...er...we need to talk," he said, offering her his gloved hand. She slipped in hers, still wearing her mittens, and followed him outside the common room.  
  
"I...um..." started Harry. "It's kind of hard for me to tell you this..."  
  
"Tell me what?" asked Ginny, her voice quavering slightly; she already knew what he was going to say.  
  
"Hermione and I..." He trailed off and looked at Ginny.  
  
"Yes?" Ginny pressed on.   
  
"We...um..." Harry pushed his glasses up the bridge of him nose and ran his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. "We've decided to get back together," he blurted out. He looked at Ginny quickly to see her reaction.  
  
"Oh," she said simply, as nonchalantly as she could. "I see."  
  
"Are-are you okay? I mean, are you okay with that?"  
  
"What? Oh yes, of course...whatever's best for you." She gave his hand a quick squeeze before dropping it and heading back down the corridor.   
  
~*~  
Harry stood in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, not quite sure of what to do. He was surprised that Ginny had taken it so well, but there was a slight twang of guilt as the last few minute's events ran through his mind.  
  
Ginny didn't seem to mind, so why should I? he told himself and brushed it off at that. He was just about to walk back into the common room when the portrait swung open and the last person he wanted to see stepped out.   
  
Ron Weasley.  
  
"Hey, Harry," said Ron, continuing down the hall. Harry breathed a sigh of relief; he had been prepared to receive the beating of his life.  
  
"Hi Ron," Harry replied.  
  
"Have you seen Ginny?" Ron asked before he turned the corner. "Mum's sent a letter for her but I can't find her."  
  
"Ginny?" asked Harry. Damn, he thought to himself. He hoped the conversation wouldn't go over to this. "She's...um...well...um..."  
  
Ron stopped suddenly and looked at Harry.  
  
"You did it, didn't you?" he said, slowly retracing his steps. "You finally did it."  
  
Harry stood by the wall silently. After hanging out with Ron for almost seven years now, he had learned when it was best to shut up.  
  
"I hope you're pleased with yourself, Harry Potter," spat Ron, now standing in front of Harry. "Then you're back with Hermione, I trust?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said, taking his chances at talking.  
  
"And Ginny?"  
  
"She's fine. She took it incredibly well," Harry told him. Ron just stared.  
  
"Oh, hell!" he shouted finally. "I'll be damned if she isn't sitting somewhere crying her eyes out right now!"  
  
"Ron," Harry sighed exasperatedly. "Listen to me for a minute, will you?"  
  
"No, I won't," Ron said disgustedly. "Why don't you go talk to Hermione, though, I'm sure she'd be happy to listen."  
  
"I think I'll do just that," Harry replied coldly, and, telling the Fat Lady the password, climbed into the common room as he saw Ron stomp off down the corridor.  
  
  
A/N Well! Well well well. People always talk about how Ron would react to Harry dating Ginny, but I dunno if anyone ever brought up them breaking up...good reason, too, it isn't very pretty 0_o Um...I know that some of the characters seem a little OOC, but just try to imagine them when their hormones kick in, eh? Hehehe...actually, that's a very amusing thought ::giggles:: Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and the next chapter should be out soon! 


	8. Next Time

Evil, evil Harry! How could he? ::hisses:: Well...er...I suppose we'll find out in this next chapter that will have you on the edge of your seat reading as fast as you can and scrolling with all your might! Ahem...::cough cough:: Sorry, got a bit carried away there...yes, well, enjoy ^_^ Oh, and a bit of a forewarning...this is kinda sappy, you know...I mean, right after a breakup and all....just so that way you don't get too scared once you start reading.  
  
  
Harry joined Hermione in their usual seat across from the fire, which was glowing red and crackling merrily. What a good start to a Christmas holiday, Harry thought as he slipped his arm around Hermione's shoulder. Hermione looked up at him and smiled contentedly.  
  
"Harry, dear, are you perfectly sure Ginny took everything okay?" asked Hermione, a note of concern still in her voice.  
  
"Of course," replied Harry, kissing the top of her head, which was nestled on his arm. "I'm sure she's somewhere talking with her friends and enjoying her vacation right now."  
  
~*~  
Ginny stumbled blindly down the stairway in disbelief. Harry had gotten back together with Hermione. And broken up with her in the process. Which, she thought as she pushed open the huge doors that led out of the castle and on to the grounds, which were buried under a good few feet of snow, meant that Ron had been right all along. She trudged across, not quite sure of where she was going just yet.  
  
She decided to stop and rest on one of the many benches by the shore of the lake. After stooping down to brush off some of the snow that had collected on it, she sat down. Everything that had happened to her in the past month with Harry kept running through her mind, and now that she knew he had never really liked her in the first place, what was going on suddenly seemed so obvious. The way Hermione always joined them everywhere they went, the way Harry was always finding things to do instead of spend time with just her, the way that they always did everything together. At the time it hadn't struck her as unusual; they were friends, weren't they? She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that two of the people she loved the most would be the two that would hurt her the most.   
  
Her mind wandered back to the fact that Ron had known about the whole thing all along. She wondered how he had found out...had he seen the fake affections Harry constantly gave her, while his true attention belonged to Hermione? Or had Harry confided his plan in Ron, the thought that Ron might tell never crossing his mind? Or had he...she stopped and hastily blinked back some tears that were threatening to fall. She would not cry over a guy; she would not cry over Harry Potter. And yet she felt the ice cold tears begin make their way down her face; bringing her soft blue mittens to her face she made to wipe them off.  
  
Ginny silently wished that she could be like other girls, and get over guys as fast as they got over her. She wished that she could have normal crushes that left as quickly and suddenly as they came. For her, it was different. It had always been. She remembered the first time she had seen Harry Potter, nearly seven years ago when Ron had first started at Hogwarts.  
  
She had stood, clutching her mother's hand, as the four Weasley children to attend Hogwarts (Percy, Fred, George, and now Ron) grabbed their trolleys and started to make their way to the platform. Once the three eldest brothers had gone, and Ron was just about to leave, Ginny had noticed a curiously small and quiet boy glancing nervously at the Weasley family. Something about his unruly, jet black hair and nervous green eyes hidden behind an overly large pair of thick black glasses had attracted her attention and held it. Though she was quite sure she didn't know him, he looked oddly familiar. Glancing at his trolley loaded with a large trunk and a cage containing an owl, she assumed he was going to Hogwarts.   
  
Just as Mrs. Weasley was about to reprimand Ginny and tell her that it was rude to stare, the boy stepped over.  
  
"Excuse me," he said, extremely softly. Ginny's heart fluttered and her stomach lurched, two sensations that she was very unused to feeling, especially simultaneously.   
  
"Oh, hello there, dear," Mrs. Weasley had replied, in her usual motherly voice. She went on explaining about how to get onto the platform (the boy was a first year, like Ron, he had said, and probably Muggle-born, too, Ginny thought) and soon he made his way though the barrier and, along with all the other students, boarded the Hogwarts Express.   
  
When she had found out that the boy was the famous hero Harry Potter, she begged and begged her mother to see him. Even then she knew that it had been very childish, but something inside her told her that she just had to see this boy, had to know him better.  
  
Ginny broke herself from her thoughts momentarily as the snow began to fall faster and more heavily. She slid down the bench closer under the thick boughs of a large oak tree which blocked out enough of the frosty flakes for her to be comfortable again.  
  
She remembered how her stomach had flip-flopped when she woke one morning, the summer before she started Hogwarts, to find Harry Potter sitting at her breakfast table. Having Harry around had been both a blessing a curse; while she had never felt more contentment in her life than when she knew that he was so close to her all the time, every time she was in the same room as Harry she was very prone to making a fool of herself, and blushing a deep shade of red afterwards.  
  
Later that year he had saved her life after she had foolishly walked right into the hands of the Dark Lord. She remembered waking in the dank, cold chamber and seeing his face hovering above her, filled with concern. She felt a warm tingle right in the pit of her stomach when he helped her clumsily to her feet, and he looked so genuinely worried about her that, if possible, her love for him increased. But then, oh, how she wished she had never picked up that stupid diary! It was bad enough that she had been so stupid, but why was it that Harry was the one who had to find out about it all? She was incredibly embarrassed and ashamed of what she had done, and was finding it harder than ever to look Harry straight in the face, which of course made her affectionate feelings for him even more obvious than ever.  
  
In her second year, she had pretty much convinced herself that, since Harry would never be interested in her in that way, that it was pointless to go on hoping and loving. And it seemed to work, too, and when she noticed all the extra time that he was spending with Hermione, it only seemed natural that he would go out with her, without a second thought to her, Ginny Weasley, who was only the younger sister of Ron, anyway.  
  
Later that summer, that slight glimmer of hope sparked up a bit when he came to spend part of the summer with them again, and joined them at the Quidditch World Cup. Of course, Ginny hadn't get too hopeful, as Hermione was there the whole time, too. Even though the two were fast friends, after noticing all the time Harry and Hermione spent together Ginny couldn't help but feel jealous.   
  
But now, Ginny wasn't jealous of Hermione. No, not anymore. Not after what Hermione had done to her that day, not even thirty minutes ago. Ginny had been so sure that the two had been friends, so sure that Hermione would never even dream of snatching Harry right out from under her nose.   
  
And Harry! Just thinking about him a surge of hate rushed through her veins. That...that...goodness! Ginny racked her brain trying to think up a word bad enough to describe him. How could she have ever loved him? How could he have ever meant the world to him? That dirty, cheating, low life excuse for a boy...and he got away with it all, too, simply because of who he was. Harry Potter.  
  
Ginny knew she should have given up on him in her fourth year when he and Hermione started going out. And then the year after that when they spent so much time together you would have thought they were attached at the hip. And the two paid no more visits to the Burrow--no, Harry spent the next summer with Hermione. And the next one. And Ginny found herself more and more often crying herself to sleep.   
  
As she sat on that bench under the tree, she looked back on those days with as much embarrassment as disgust at how petty she had been over the whole thing. And the fact that it had taken her seven years to realize it, when the girls in her dorm had been teasing her about it since her first day at Hogwarts. Yes, there wasn't a single person who hadn't know about her crush on the famous Harry Potter.  
  
When he had asked her out, she was ecstatic as no one had ever been. Her wish had finally been granted. Finally. After all these years of waiting, the boy of her dreams was hers. For the first few weeks she pinched herself sharply several times just to make sure it wasn't all just another dream. And when she found that it wasn't, she was even happier than before.  
  
Oh, how quickly she had been to accept him! She had been so sure that he loved her, that her feelings were finally reciprocated. Never again would she trust anybody with her heart so openly, she vowed. Next time--no, wait. Ginny stopped herself. There would be no next time. She had been a fool, she thought, and she would never let it happen again. No, not even if he came begging at her feet.   
  
And to think, at one time she hoped that he would!  
  
~*~  
Rumors were already spreading like wildfire through the Gryffindor common room. Hermione? And Harry? Oh, look, they're kissing! How did it happen? When did it happen? Where in heaven's name has Ginny gotten to? Oh, goodness, do you know what I just heard?...  
  
"Harry?" Hermione picked up her head from where it was resting on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I...I'm glad we got back together. Really and truly. And I'm horribly sorry that we broke up earlier," she said earnestly.  
  
"Me too." They smiled at each other warmly, a mutual look of contentment passing between the two.   
  
~*~  
Ron stomped into the library, pulled out a chair roughly from a small table in one of the many tables sprinkled about, and plopped himself into it. He randomly grabbed a book from the shelf behind him and slammed it on the table as loudly as possible, earning him a reproving glance from Madame Pince, who shrieked, "You take care of this library! It's far older than you and heaven knows how much more it's worth!"  
  
Ah, she can go to bloody hell, thought Ron bitterly. After all, Harry'll need somebody to keep him company.  
  
Yes, just like Hermione and Ginny, Ron was thinking about Harry. Of course, his thoughts were not nearly as nice as Hermione's, and compared to his even Ginny's seemed friendly.  
  
Speaking of friends, Ron no longer counted Harry as one of his. He went as far to think that he would sooner buddy up with Draco or Snape than even smile at that foul creature again in his entire life.   
  
Just who did he think he was to run around and break the heart of his little sister, anyways? He was so damn full of himself all the time, he never thought of anybody else but himself. Harry took his too-large ego with him everywhere he went. People made too big a deal about something that happened when he was a year old that they completely missed what an annoying self-centered little bastard he could be, whining like a baby when he didn't get what he wanted, and heaven forbid that at least a dozen people didn't come running to his aid at that very moment.  
  
"Ron!" God, thought Ron. Perfect timing.  
  
"Hi there!" The skinny little figure of Colin Creevy came running down between the shelves and took a seat next to Ron. Ron sighed.  
  
"Hullo Colin. What's up?" Despite the fact that Colin was quite the last person he wanted to see at the moment, Ron still thought he was pretty nice and felt obligated to at least be civil to him.  
  
Ever since Harry had started going out with Hermione, he had been too absorbed in his significant other to even acknowledge Colin's existence, so Colin had turned to the person who knew Harry best--Ron. At first it had been just a substitution, but since last year Colin had abandoned Harry and attached himself to Ron. After you got past the fact that he followed you around everywhere, bobbing up and down and asking endless questions like you would expect from somebody who was six, not sixteen, Colin was pretty good company.  
  
"Have you heard? Everybody's talking about it. Harry and Hermione got back together."  
  
Ron heaved a loud sigh. "Yes, Colin, I have," he said impatiently. "And I'd rather not talk about it, okay?" Colin took the hint.  
  
"Well...um...I think I have some homework to go do." Colin stood up and pushed his chair in. "I'll see you later then?"  
  
"Yeah. Sure." Ron propped his head up on his elbow as Colin left the library, and all of his confused thoughts flooded back into his head again.  
  
  
A/N Uh. Yeah. Sappy sappy sappy. Blah blah blah. But honestly, people! We had to go through this. There is *no* way around it. And when I say *no* way, I mean *NO* way. Okay then. So if you complain about it I'll come back there and kick your scrawny little butt! Complain about anything else, just not about the sappiness, k? And I'm very very very sorry for not posting in such a frikin long time. The next chapter should be out sooner. Oh yeah, this chapter is named after the incredibly froody soulDecision song of the same name...rock on XD 


	9. Angel in the Snow

When we last left our heroes, Harry and Hermione were cuddling in the common room while Ginny sorted out her thoughts on the lawn....  
  
  
Harry stared out of the window blankly. It was a very cold afternoon, and he was glad to be inside, in front of the warm fire with Hermione. He let his forehead touch the glass--it was freezing. He shivered as his skin came in contact with the ice-cold glass, and he felt goosebumps run up and down his arms. Straightening back up, he turned to gaze out onto the front lawn again. It really is beautiful, he thought to himself. Everything was coated in a thick layer of snow and ice as far as the eye could see. The forest, the lake, the bordering trees...he focused on one in particular, however. One with a bench under it. And somebody appeared to be occupying that bench. He peered closer. The figure moved over a bit to lean onto the tree to it's left. As it moved, the hood of it's cloak moved just enough to reveal a lock of flaming red hair. Ginny.  
  
Harry sighed deeply and pulled Hermione closer to him. There wasn't any reason for him to feel guilty, really. Why should he? He had never liked Ginny, so if he had continued to go out with her, that would be worse than dumping her to get at Hermione. It would have been deceitful to continue seeing her if he didn't feel such feelings for her...or did her? As Harry thought about Ginny, he noticed that he started to flush a bit, and that his heart started racing, and that his stomach was flip-flopping. His mind went back to his third-year Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, when he had stood face-to-face with Cho Chang, his cheeks flushing, his heart racing, and his stomach flip-flopping.   
  
As he turned away from the window, he noticed that Hermione had been looking up at him, studying his face.  
  
"Harry," she said softly, still examining him.  
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I understand," she replied, with her know-it-all kind of voice.  
  
"You understand what?" asked Harry, slightly confused.  
  
Hermione towards the window and sighed. "You know."  
  
He followed her gaze, and was startled to discover that it led to the very spot that he had been surveying moments before. A sudden gust of wind blew past, and Ginny drew her cloak closer around her. Harry gulped.  
  
"Hermione..." he started.  
  
"No. It's okay. I felt it, too." She stood up and made to leave, but turned back around. Taking Harry's hands in to hers, she said, "I love you as much as one person can love another. But now I realize that the love we have for each other is different. I love you as the brother I never had, and I hope that I am like a sister to you. I know now that it was never anything beyond than that, and it never will be, but there is nothing that will surpass the love one has for family." She gave him a hug. "Good luck with Ginny," she whispered into his ear.  
  
Harry smiled. After all, there was nothing like family.  
  
~*~  
After bundling up in his sweater, cloak, scarf, and gloves, Harry bounded out of the Gryffindor common room. He slowed down as he neared the entrance hall, however. Spotting a wooden chair nearby, he sat down.  
  
What would he say?  
  
He had been such a jerk. He had acted like such an idiot, treating Ginny like a pawn that he used only to get what he wanted. Of course, how could he have ever thought of her as anything else? After all, she was just Ron's little sister, a young girl a year beneath him, a pest who tagged along everywhere.   
  
Yes, that was all she had been to him. A pest. Her constant attentions in his second year had been a form of great embarrassment--he nearly died when he received a singing Valentine in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by students.   
  
That was how he had thought of her a month ago, when Hermione had broken up with him. He wanted something, and he could use her to get it. What mattered of her feelings? She was too young to know love, after all, wasn't she?  
  
Harry let his head lean back until it hit the wall. A bigger idiot had never walked the earth. How could he have ever thought all these things about Ginny? Ginny, the sweet, charming, beautiful Ginny that he knew and had abused.   
  
Of course, in the beginning he hadn't thought of Ginny as sweet, charming, or beautiful. No, in the beginning he hardly thought anything of her. In fact, it wasn't until she was gone that he realized how much she had come to mean to him. How much she had meant to him all along.   
  
But things weren't going to work themselves out as he sat kicking himself in the hall. He stood up and walked over to the monstrous oak doors, his footsteps echoing eerily in the large and deserted room. The doors opened with a long creak, and Harry pulled his cloak closer around as the cold wind nipped at his face. He scanned the snowy landscape for a charcoal-colored figure; after a quick look around, he spotted her, the only break in a sea of white, like an angel stranded in the snow. Faltering slightly as he fought to break a path in the deep snow, he headed off in her direction.  
  
~*~  
Ron made his way from the library up to the common room. His mind was still occupied with thoughts of Harry and Hermione. He muttered the password to the Fat Lady, and the portrait swung open. Spotting Seamus and Dean playing a game of wizard's chess, he walked over to watch.  
  
"Hullo, Ron," said Seamus jovially, watching his queen take out Dean's knight. "Lovely game, chess."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," scowled Dean. "Whatever."  
  
"He's just bitter because I'm beating the pants off of him," Seamus said. "I've wiped out half of his pieces, and I still have all but one of mine." He smirked across the short table at Dean as Dean's king was put into checkmate by Seamus's queen.  
  
"Oh, shut up," Dean replied. "You won't be so smug when I beat you next time." He began resetting the board. "You wanna play, Ron?" he asked, looking up.  
  
"No, that's okay. I'll think I'll go finish that essay for McGonagall, I haven't even started..." Ron trailed off as he made to go up to the boys' dorm. As he turned to leave, however, he spotter Hermione sitting by the fire. Alone.  
  
~*~  
Harry felt like the walk to the lake was going to take forever. The cold winter air stung his lungs as he panted after trudging through the knee-high snow. Finally, however, he reached the tree under which Ginny was sitting. He drew up his breath nervously and cleared his throat. Slowly, Ginny turned around. As soon as she saw him, she swept back around and left him to stare at her back.  
  
"Ginny," Harry said. "I--I wanted to talk to you."  
  
There was silence for a moment. "Go away, Harry," Ginny finally said.  
  
"But, Gin..." started Harry.  
  
"I said go away," she replied firmly.  
  
"No!" he said. "In fact, I think I am going to join you right here." He plopped down on the bench beside her.   
  
The silence was deafening. They both sat there for nearly a quarter of an hour, saying nothing to each other. After twenty minutes, however, Harry made another attempt.  
  
"Listen, Ginny, I came out here to tell you something, and I want you to listen," said Harry.  
  
"I don't care," replied Ginny flatly. "I have no reason to talk to you." She started to turn back toward the tree, but Harry grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.  
  
"Ginny, listen," he began. "I wanted to tell you--" He stopped and looked at Ginny. Her face was contorted with anger. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Is something wrong?!" Ginny exploded, apoplectic with rage. "You have the nerve to come down here and ask me what's wrong?!"   
  
The two looked at each other for a moment, Ginny glaring and Harry trying to figure out what she was thinking.  
  
Then, without any warning, Ginny punched Harry squarely in the nose and he toppled over backwards into the soft snow.  
  
~*~  
Ron walked over to Hermione a little more quickly than he would have intended to.  
  
"Oh, hello, Ron," said Hermione pleasantly, turning at the sound of his loud footsteps.  
  
"Hey, Hermione," said Ron.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Where's Harry?" Ron asked, not bothering to beat around the bush. Hermione looked at him meaningfully for a moment.  
  
"He left a while ago. Why?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to him," he answered. "About Ginny."  
  
"Oh, Ron," sighed Hermione. "You can be so dense sometimes. Why do you think Harry isn't here right now?"  
  
Ron shrugged. "He had to go to the bathroom?"  
  
"Honestly," Hermione muttered under her breath. "If you'll just come sit next to me, maybe you would understand what I'm talking about." Reluctantly, Ron joined Hermione, who was peering out of the window.  
  
~*~  
Ginny looked dumbfounded at Harry lying below her in the freshly fallen snow. He made a feeble and fruitless attempt to get back onto the bench.  
  
Without saying a word, Ginny extended her hand to him and helped him to pull himself up.  
  
"Thanks," he muttered, straightening his robes. She didn't answer.  
  
"You know, you punch pretty hard," he said, rubbing his nose tenderly. "I guess you have to, with jerks like me after you all the time."  
  
Ginny snorted. "That's the first honest thing you've said to me, you know."  
  
"I know," Harry said, sighing. "But I came down here to tell you something. I know that it seems that I don't care about you Ginny," he started. "I've been really, really stupid about all this, and I wish I could take back all of the things I've done to you. I had always thought I was in love with Hermione, when..." He trailed off.  
  
"When what?" asked Ginny, looking up at him.  
  
"When all this time," he continued, taking Ginny's hands into his, "I had been in love with you. As soon as I left you in the corridor early and sat down with Hermione, I realized that you were the only person in the world that I wanted to be with. Ever."  
  
Ginny drew in a quick breath. "Harry, I wish I could believe you, I honestly do, but I can't." She drew her hands back and stood up. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." She began to walk back to the castle.  
  
"Wait!" Harry called after her. "You can't just...just get up and leave. I wasn't done talking to you yet...!"  
  
"You weren't done talking to me yet?" Ginny asked incredulously. "Harry, I'm not stupid, okay? So you can Hermione had a fight and now you want to make her jealous again. Who cares about me, anyway? Certainly not you."  
  
"Ginny, you don't know how much it hurts me to hear you say that about me," said Harry helplessly. "If you'd just give me a chance, then maybe you'd see."  
  
"Maybe I'd see what? What a sleazy little rat you are? Harry, I've already given you one chance, and you've shown me that one was far too many. Now, if you please, I'll be going now." She stared at Harry with a loathsome glare.  
  
"Have you ever wanted something so badly," Harry said softly before she walked off again, "so badly that you would do anything, anything, to get it? And just when you think it's within your reach, it leaves?"  
  
Ginny sighed. Of course, she knew exactly the feeling that he was talking about. She had yearned after Harry so hopelessly for the last six years, and then when it finally felt like he was hers, he turned around and went back to Hermione. Ginny knew that she shouldn't have any pity for Harry after what he had done for her, but she couldn't help but turn around and listen to what he had to say.  
  
"It may not seem like it, but you mean the world to me," Harry continued. "I wouldn't mind being stranded on a desert island forever if you were there to keep me company. With the thought that I could wake up every morning to you, I would hardly notice the boiling sun beating on my back and my parched throat crying for water and the sand in my hair. Ginny, I wish there was some way to make you understand what I feel."  
  
"If you really feel that way about me, why did you go and use me like that?" snapped Ginny.  
  
"You have no idea how much I wish that I had never done that," said Harry earnestly. "Please, believe me, Ginny." He walked toward her slowly and picked up her hands again. "Please."  
  
~*~  
"They're holding hands?" Ron was looking out of one of the many windows in the Gryffindor common room down at Harry and Ginny on the front lawn.  
  
"Yes," said Hermione. "Is that so hard to believe?"  
  
"As a matter of fact," Ron said, turning away from the window, "it is. If I were Ginny, I probably would have socked him a good one right in the nose."  
  
"Ron!" scolded Hermione. "Harry was being very sincere when he left to go talk to Ginny. I think that he really loves her."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," sighed Ron. "But if he tries to pull any other crap..." He broke off and made a violent gesture in the air.  
  
Hermione glared at him disapprovingly. "Honestly, you are so immature that it is hard to believe you're seventeen."  
  
"You mean I'm seventeen already?" Ron looked surprised. "Whoa, cool!"  
  
"Case in point," muttered Hermione to herself.  
  
"Did you say something?" asked Ron, prepared to be offended.  
  
"Of course not," Hermione assured him. "Now have you copied your notes for Potions yet? Exams are only five months away."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and followed Hermione to go grab his books.  
  
~*~  
Ginny looked up and met Harry's gaze. She thought back to the first time that she had done this. She had been so sure that Harry had been sincere, that he had liked her. But then he had turned around and broke her heart. Now she was back at the same place. It seemed that they had gotten so far, and suddenly everything started rewinding. He was asking her to trust him again. Doubts fluttered through her mind. She didn't want to make the same mistakes. As his deep green eyes and her bright brown ones met, she decided.  
  
"Harry, we both know that you have done some stupid stuff. And that I probably shouldn't be giving you a second chance. And that what I am about to say I am probably going to regret." Ginny stopped for a moment. "But I can't help it, Harry. I love you. With all my heart. Even if I didn't want to."  
  
Harry's face lit up, and Ginny couldn't help but smile. The two walked back up to the castle, hand in hand.  
  
  
A/N Aww...wasn't that sweet? ::wipes eyes:: Okay, I know the title seems really lame now because it was only one line. But whatever. I thought it sounded cool. So what about that punch, eh? I was *so* looking forward to writing this chapter so I could put that in. Buttkicking!Ginny is by far my favorite. After this there is going to be an epilogue, but that is it. You know, it may seem pathetic, but this is the first story I have ever finished. Wow. Merry Christmas! 


	10. Epilogue

So. This is the epilogue. Which means the end. Ah! I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far...nothing really happens here, mostly just a wrap up.  
  
  
Ginny woke up at a sharp tap at the wooden door separating the girls' sixth year dorms from the hallway. Slowly, the door creaked open and Hermione stepped in.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Ginny," she whispered, as so not to wake the other girl who had stayed behind. "Harry and Ron are already opening their presents downstairs; want to join us?"  
  
"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Ginny. "And I would love to." She slipped on her robe and followed Hermione out to the common room.  
  
Harry and Ron were plopped down on one of the many scarlet and squishy sofas scattered about. They were ripping the wrapping off of their presents excitedly while warming their feet by the crackling fire.  
  
"Hey, Gin," said Ron, looking up. "I can't believe Mum sent me another sweater!" He held up his newest addition to his collection of maroon knitted sweaters and glared at it, revolted. "When will she ever learn that I can't stand these?" He laid it on the arm of the chair next to him and, picking up a package, threw it to Ginny. "This is for you, from yours truly."  
  
"Thanks," Ginny said, and peeled the paper from it to reveal a bag of Cauldron Cakes. "And this," she continued, fishing a little box from the pocket of her dressing robe, "is for you." Ron snatched it up and pulled the top of hastily.  
  
"Where did you get these?!" Ron shrieked, waving his present around. "Tickets! To the next Cannons game!"  
  
"Perce got them at work," explained Ginny. "But of course, he's not really into Quidditch. So this is a gift from him, really. He just asked me to give it to you."  
  
"Maybe I shouldn't have gotten him those Cockroach Clusters for Christmas, after all..." muttered Ron to himself. "There are two... You up to watching the Magpies get murdered by the Cannons on Thursday, Harry?"  
  
Harry snorted. "Like that's ever going to happen, the Magpies are the best in the league. Anyway" Harry replied, glancing sideways at Ginny, " I have tutoring. But you could always ask Hermione..." Hermione flushed bright red and shot Harry a look of pure venom.  
  
"Excellent suggestion. Would you be kind enough to accompany me to a match of the noble sport of Quidditch, Hermione?" asked Ron with the air of one inviting a female friend to the opera.   
  
"Well, I suppose I could come," Hermione said, and flashed Ron a smile. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and the two grinned. Ron and Hermione sat looking at each other for a moment.  
  
"What are you looking so dumb about, eh?" Ron asked, turning to Harry and breaking the awkward silence as well as Hermione's gaze. "Didn't you bother to get anything for Ginny?"  
  
"Ha, ha," laughed Harry lamely. "Of course I got her something...provided, of course, that she got something for me, too." He looked up at her expectantly, a smug smile playing across his face.  
  
"Shut up," she snapped. "That is, if you want to get your present, of course." That was enough to shut Harry up.  
  
"Fine then, I suppose this is for you," said Ginny, and handed Harry a heavy package. Before Harry opened it, he passed a large bag over to her. Harry carefully removed the wrapping from his package, and Ginny pulled her gift out of the bag delicately. Holding up their presents, the two stared at them in disbelief for a moment before bursting into laughter.  
  
"I don't get it," Ron said, confused. "What's so funny?" At the same time, both Ginny and Harry showed their gifts to Ron.   
  
"Oh, you two are a bunch of right geniuses, you are," laughed Hermione. For they had bought each other the same thing, a copy of "Charming Charms and How to Use Them," the newest book on charms.  
  
"Now we can read it together," said Harry, smiling and scooting over to make room for Ginny and Hermione on the couch between him and Ron. Squeezed tightly in a space obviously not intended for four, the friends enjoyed the rest of their Christmas morning together.  
  
  
A/N ::sniffles:: The end...! Mucho gracias to *everybody* who has read and reviewed this story, and thanks for sticking through it so long. I am actually very proud of this, and hope that you have enjoyed it. Look for a new fic from me soon, "Tales From the Toilet." I'm sure you can't even begin to guess who that is about...::coughMYRTLEcough:: 


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